MotoGP ; Lorenzo s’impose haut la main en Espagne / Lorenzo puts on master class to claim Jerez win

Jorge Lorenzo s’est imposé avec une très confortable avance sur Marc Márquez et Valentino Rossi au Grand Prix bwin d’Espagne.

En pole position après avoir établi un nouveau record du Circuit de Jerez en qualifications, Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a dominé la quatrième course de la saison MotoGP™ 2015 de bout en bout et a fini avec plus de cinq secondes d’avances pour décrocher sa première victoire, et son premier podium, de l’année. 

Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) a tenté de suivre le Majorquin en début de course et a vite été distancé mais a obtenu une importante deuxième place après sa chute en Argentine et malgré sa blessure à la main gauche. 

Troisième, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) montait sur le podium pour la 200e fois de sa carrière tandis que Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda), Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3) et Andrea Iannone (Ducati) finissaient eux aussi dans le Top 6.

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Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo dominates the race in Jerez to take victory by over 5 seconds as Rossi claims his 200th podium.

Jorge Lorenzo reclaimed the Circuito de Jerez as “Lorenzo Land” as he proved to be simply untouchable on his way to his 55th World Championship victory. The Spaniard has dominated throughout the weekend, and continued this during the race as he led from the lights to the flag.

His winning margin of 5.576s was an indication of just how much he was in control of the race, as he even had time to salute the fans on his final lap before crossing the line to take the chequered flag.

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez rode valiantly with his broken finger and even managed to hold off a charging Valentino Rossi (+11.586s) at the end of the race to claim second. Rossi was 2 seconds behind Marquez with 10 laps to go, and the Spaniard must have had a feeling of déjà vu when his pit board said Rossi had closed the gap to a second with only seven laps left.

Unlike in Argentina he managed to respond to keep the Italian at bay with Rossi eventually crossing the line in third, a further six seconds back, to claim his 200th World Championship podium.

CWM LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow secured a rather lonely 4th place to finish as the leading satellite rider 3.8s ahead of Pol Espargaro on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 M1. Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone won a hard fought battle for sixth against Aleix Espargaro on the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR.

Bradley Smith finished in eighth, while Andrea Dovizioso (9th) had to ride through the field after running wide a twice during the opening laps and finding himself down in 25th.

Pramac Racing’s Yonny Hernandez completed the top ten with Hector Barbera finishing as the top Open class rider in 14th, just ahead of Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista (15th) who claimed the final Championship point.

Rossi (82pts) now has a 15-point advantage over Andrea Dovizioso (67pts) in the MotoGP™ World Championship standings whilst Jorge Lorenzo (62pts) has moved into third at the expense of Marquez (56pts).

Check out the full MotoGP™ race results.

Snapshot, 1971: Tippi lives on the wild side of the paw

In a photograph that could only have been taken in 1970s Tinseltown, actress Tippi Hedren offers her pet lion Neil a drink. You’d think that after her starring role in the Hitchcock epic ‘The Birds’, she would have learnt her lesson about unpredictable wildlife...

In the shot above, taken in 1971 for a Life Magazine article, the Hollywood starlet playfully squirts water into the mouth of the majestic beast. Named ‘Neil’, the lion was a permanent resident at the Hedren household – and was a screen-star himself, having portrayed ‘baddie’ lions in the 1960s TV series Daktari. He was soon joined in the house by no fewer than six lion cubs before Hedren realised just how ridiculous the scenario was, and moved the pride to the 80-acre animal reserve on which she resides to this day. Funnily enough, she now strongly opposes the keeping of wild cats as domestic pets – strange what 1970s Hollywood could do to people, eh Tippi?

Photo: Getty / Life Magazine

Our favourites from Bonhams’ Aston Martin auction in Newport Pagnell

On 9 May, the annual Aston Martin auction held by Bonhams is to take place at the marque’s Works premises in Newport Pagnell. Around 170 cars and brand-related collectables will be offered for sale – we’ve picked a dozen of our favourites...

All lots from Bonhams’ Aston Martin auction on 9 May 2015 can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

Auctions | Cars

1958 Aston Martin DB2

EUR 41 905 - 69 842

Auctions | Cars

1988 Aston Martin V8

EUR 223 495 - 279 369

Auctions | Cars

1984 Lagonda Aston Martin Lagonda

EUR 69 842 - 104 763

Auctions | Cars

1966 Aston Martin DB6

EUR 523 816 - 628 579

Auctions | Cars

1971 Aston Martin DBS

EUR 104 763 - 118 732

Auctions | Cars

1964 Aston Martin DB5

EUR 628 579 - 698 422

Auctions | Cars

1959 Aston Martin DB4

EUR 488 895 - 558 737

Auctions | Cars

1967 Aston Martin DB6

EUR 949 853 - 1 061 601

Auctions | Cars

1969 Aston Martin V8

EUR 83 811 - 111 747

Auctions | Cars

2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

EUR 153 653 - 181 590

Auctions | Cars

1963 Aston Martin DB5

EUR 1 536 527 - 1 676 212

Auctions | Cars

1956 Aston Martin DB2

EUR 167 621 - 223 495

Triumph Bonneville ‘Hellzapoppin’ – Ton-Up Garage

Written by Ian Lee.

Isn’t new love grand? You just want to spend time together, walking on the beach, holding hands, riding your bitchin Triumph down country lanes two up …This is the thought behind today’s feature bike, a labour of love from the Ton-up Garage in Portugal. Built for a couple looking to spend as much time as possible together, this Triumph Bonneville has been customised while still allowing for two up action. Dubbed ‘Hellzapoppin’ after the dance style that brought them together, this bike is tearing up the streets of Lisbon and backroads of Portugal, showing that Ton-up motorcycles aren’t necessarily about one up motorcycling.

Taking the Bonnie back to bare bones, Ton-up looked at ways of giving the bike a more sporting aesthetic, while still retaining the ability to take a pillion passenger. A new seat was fashioned up, manufactured in leather. The rear subframe has had an angle grinder taken to it, and a new rear loop mounted to accommodate the new seat assembly. A new rear mudguard was also produced to suit the lines of the seat, and to ensure the pillion passenger’s back stays mudfree. Whilst the rear subframe was being improved, the electrical harness was tidied up, and the factory airbox ditched to give that minimalistic look.

The front end has been given the works as well, with a new handlebar fitted that sports custom grips and levers. With minimalism being a major aspect of the build, both the headlight and turn signals have been swapped out for smaller units, and an MX shield fitted to the headlight. The bulky factory meter cluster is gone, and a smaller speedo sits in it’s place. To give the front guard an ‘older style look’, it has been chromed.

With riding ability required beyond the city streets of Lisbon, the Trumpy rolls on dirt tires, while still keeping the factory spoked rims. Ton-up built up the exhaust system in house, pipe wrapping the header pipes and angling the Dunstall style silencers ever so slightly upwards to add to the off road styling of the customised machine.

With room for two, and ability to take this lucky couple where ever their heart desires, Ton-up Garage’s latest build incorporates sporting as well as off-roading aspects. Built by one of Europe’s leading customisers, this Triumph is the bike that love built.

via PIPEBURN